I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
These are the famous lyrics to the Dixie Chicks’ song, “Not Ready to Make Nice”. I first heard this song a few years ago, when the Dixie Chicks swept the Grammy Awards of 2007. When I heard this song, I didn’t realize that there was such a meaningful story behind it. The song’s story was only revealed to me last year when I watched a documentary about the Dixie Chicks called “Shut Up and Sing”.
“Shut Up and Sing” reveals the furious backlash that the Dixie Chicks faced when it’s lead singer Natalie Maines, openly criticized President Bush. She was performing at a concert in London when she said, “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the Untied States is from Texas”. Maines’ comment came after President Bush’s decision to send troops to Iraq. People were angry, patriotism was high, and so were President Bush’s approval ratings. It was not the best time to exercise your right of free speech against the President.
The Dixie Chicks learned this lesson the hard way. As the documentary reveals, after Maines’ comments in London, the American media and people exploded with anger at what she had said. Some deemed her comments inappropriate because they were made overseas, and support for President Bush’s decision was already low enough in foreign countries. Some people held rallies where they denounced the Dixie Chicks. They trashed and bulldozed copies of the band’s CDs. The documentary even shows a woman at a rally holding her baby in her arms and telling her to curse the Dixie Chicks. Despite all this hatred, the worst was yet to come.
As the documentary reveals, one of the scariest reactions against the Dixie Chicks was a death threat. Before performing at a concert in Texas, Maines was sent a note which read that if she performed that night, she would be shot dead. People even showed up outside the concert building to protest the Dixie Chicks and proclaim their hatred for the band. Clearly many Americans were not in the mood to have the President’s actions criticized.
“Shut Up and Sing” shows how angry and sensitive Americans were after 9/11. It had been two years since 9/11, but the wounds of the entire nation had not yet healed. Many Americans were still angry and willing to stand behind almost any action that the President took. When President Bush declared an invasion of Iraq, it wasn’t a matter of morals. It was a matter of America was hurt, so now the enemy needed to pay the price (although Fahrenheit 9/11 questions who this enemy was). This was all in 2003, however. “Shut Up and Sing” was released in 2006: five years after 9/11. The end of this documentary shows how the patriotism faded and people lost their enthusiasm about the war. President Bush’s approval ratings declined during this time. More people began to openly criticize President Bush.
“Shut Up and Sing” perfectly preserves this transition of a riled up nation going from angry and defiant to upset and just plain tired.
Citation:
Eby, R.T. “R.T. Eby: Not Ready To Make Nice, Redux.” Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. 26 May 2008. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rt-eby/not-ready-to-make-nice-re_b_103553.html>.
“DIXIE CHICKS LYRICS – Not Ready To Make Nice.” A-Z Lyrics Universe. Web. 14 Nov. 2010. <http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/dixiechicks/notreadytomakenice.html>.
